Footwear



Jan; 6, 1942.

W. K. SMALL FOOTWEAR Filed May 9, 1940 Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOOTWEAR. William Keane Small, Kirkwood, Mb. Application May 9, 1940, Serial No. 334,153

4 Claims.

The object of this improvement i the production of a. low shoe, slipper or sandal which will conveniently serve a double purpose in that it can be secured on the foot when it is desired to conceal the wearer's heel as a matter of convention on occasions when one does not wish to appear too informal or when the wearer intends to walk outdoors for a considerable distance and may be readily converted into a so-called heelless bath or bed-room slipper into which the foot may be quickly inserted without the necessity of sitting down to fasten it and is as quickly and easily removed. r

This object I attain by construction shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective of the article with the adaptable parts positioned for securing the article to the foot for the purpose first mentioned, Figure 2 a perspective of the same article with said parts positioned for the purpose last mentioned, and Figure 3 a rear elevation of the article taken along line 33 of Figure 2 depicting the location of the heel strap in a shallow slot. or channel (formed by downward pressure of a die not shown) extending across the heel pad whereby said strap does not rise above the insole when the use of the slipper is altered and, hence, occasions no discomfort to the wearer.

I am aware that an article of footwear corresponding to that shown in Figure 1 has heretofore been marketed by various manufacturers and therefore I lay no claim to its construction comprising a sole l, a lining over the sole or socalled insole 2, the upper or vamp consisting of two sections of soft leather or fabric 3-4 secured by one or another process to the sole, overlaid to form the toe section of the article and prolonged into strap sections 5-6 also anchored to the sole as at l with their opposite ends connected by a section of elastic 8 to yieldingly engage the heel of the wearer. Manifestly, to get such anarticle upon the foot one must sit down and, after insertion of the toe beneath said overlaid sections, manually retract the elastic strap element to such extent as to admit the rear portion of the foot, whereupon said element is re- I leased to snugly engage the heel about two inches above its base; again, when it is desired to reto affording greater value to the purchaser at. retail, I have rendered the article above described adaptable for use as a bed-room, bathor informal house slipper by forming (preferablyby pressure of a die) a shallow slot or channel 9 extending transversely across the heel portion of the sole and affixing the male and female elements of conventional glove or snap fasteners Ill-I I to each of the strap sections 5-6 substantially in the locations shown. Thus, without in the least impairing the usefulness of the article for the purpose first above described, when one Wishes to make the article more readily usable in the privacy of th home it is only necessary to press the elastic element inwardly and downwardly into the said slot which will bring the end portions of the strap sections into the position shown in Figure 2 where they are temporarily secured by said fasteners or equivalent devices, including conventional hooks and eyes or buttons engaging buttonholes. I

I claim:

1. An article of footwear comprising a strap element for engagement with the heel of the wearer to hold the article on the foot and means for dispensing with the function of said element by detachably securing the upper" rear portion thereof against adjacent portions of said strap element, wherebythe foot can be freely inserted into and withdrawn from the article.

2. An article of footwear comprising an ex-.

tensible strap element for adjustable engagement with the heel of the wearer to hold the article on the foot and means for dispensing with the function of said element by detachably securing the upper rear portionthereof against adjacent portions of said strap element, whereby the foot can be freely inserted into and Withdrawn from the article. I

3. An article of footwear comprising a sole, a strap element for engagement with the heel of the wearer to hold the article on the foot, a shallow slotor channel formed transversely on the upper surface of the heel portion of the sole adapted to receive the upper rear portion of said element, and means for dispensing with the function of said element by detachably securing said portion thereof against adjacent portions of said strap element, whereby the foot can be freely inserted into and withdrawn from the article and said slot is filled to the plane of the sole.

4. An article of footwear comprising a sole, an

extensible strap element for adjustable engagement with the heel of the wearer to hold the article on the foot, a shallow slot or channel formed transversely on the upper surface of the heel portion ofthe sole adapted to receive the upper rear portion of said element, and means for dispensing with the function of said element 1 WILLIAM KEANE SMALL. 

